Newcastle United player http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Hatem-Ben-Arfa-c15884 has warned his teammates to focus only on the three points when West Ham come visit this Sunday, and pay less attention to the return of Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll.
The player insists that his focus remains on winning the game against the Hammers, and that a victory overshadows the debate on what kind of reception Nolan and Carroll will get from the fans.
Both players had been local favourites back then they were still Newcastle squad members. Kevin Nolan had captained the side towards promotion back to the English top flight after winning the Coca-Cola Championship.
Carroll also rose to prominence during that time, scoring a handful of goals in the Championship and then making his mark in the Premier League when Newcastle got promoted.
Both players will return to St. James’ Park, with this being Nolan’s first visit since he left the club. Ben Arfa insists that the game is crucial for building on their solid but unimpressive season so far.
After managing a well-deserved comeback against Club Brugge in the Europa League this past Thursday, Newcastle will be eying all three points. The club has so far failed to replicate the form that saw it finish at fifth spot last season, and despite managing
results, their performances have been far from convincing.
Ben Arfa had rarely played alongside Nolan and Carroll after he joined from Marseille due to the horrible broken leg he suffered against Manchester City. The player is however aware of the threat both players pose, but is confident that Newcastle will be
able to contain them.
Speaking to local press, Ben Arfa said:
“It is a good situation for them coming back. But most important for us is to win. We have to focus on our own game and win it.”
Speaking about Nolan, he added:
“He knows that type of atmosphere will be at St. James’ Park and I think he will want to show them he is a good player.”
“They did some good things for Newcastle. Nolan and Andy Carroll did well here. Nolan has big experience and he knows how we play. But we have to focus on winning.”
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